Toasting apparatus



July 3,- 1945. J. R. HEILMAN TOASTING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 50, 1943 2Sheets-Sheet 1 mm mm MH R mm E s or J a m E S s m M w a ATTOR Y y 1945.J. R. HEILMAN 2,379,709

TOASTING APPARATUS Filed NOV. 30, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q 5. INVENTORJQEPH R. HEILMHNQ ATTORMt Patented July 3, 1945 TOASTING APPARATUSJoseph R. Hellman, Mansfield, Ohio, assignor to Westinghouse ElectricCorporation, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of PennsylvaniaApplication November 30, 1943, Serial No. 512,378

2 Claims.

My invention relates totoasting apparatus, more articularly to casingstructures for such apparatus, and has for an object to provide an v theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, inwhich:

Figs. 1, 2 and 3 are, respectively, plan, side and end elevations of atoaster having a casing constructed and arranged in accordance with myinvention;

Fig. 4 is a partial sectional view taken along the line IV-IV of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line V-V of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a portion of one of the casing side wallmembers forming a part of my improved toaster casing.

Referring now to the drawings, I have shown my invention applied to awell or oven type toaster which includes a base Ill, preferably formedof molded material, and having upwardlyextending bosses ii. The lattersupport a pair of partitions [2 which arespaced apart for delining a,toasting oven is therebetween. For the sake of brevity and cleamess, Ihave not shown the usual heating elements and bread-supporting memberwhich are arranged within the oven. It will be understood that theheating elements are suitably supported from the partitions l2 and thatthe bread-supporting member is movable upwardly anddownwardly within theoven l3 by a suitable handle arranged exteriorly of the casing of thetoaster in a manner well understood in the art. I have shown, however,an arm Isa which is secured to the bread carriage and which extendsoutwardly of the casing for the support.

of the handle. The partitions l2 are secured to the bosses II by meansof suitable screws it. The upper edges of the partitions l2 are providedwith respective projections I! which are spaced apart, as best shown inFig. 3, for a purpose to be referred to hereinafter.

In accordance with my invention, the casing structure is formed of threemajor parts including a pair of side wall members, generally indicatedat [6 and' I1, and a centerband I! of inverted U-shape. The side wallIt, which is preferably drawn from sheet metal, is dished outwardly, asshown at 20, and includes a bottom plate portion I! having a pluralityof spaced openings 2! formed therein. The latter are spaced to receiverespective protuberances 22 which may be integral with the base In andwhich extend upwardly therefrom. The purpose of the protuberances 22 isto prevent shifting of the side walls upon the base in generallyhorizontal directions. The upper portion of the side wall l8 includestwo inwardly-extending tabs 23 (Figs. 1 and 6) which have respectiverecesses 24 formed therein and which receive the projections l5 when theside wall is assembled upon the base. The projections ||5 preventmovement of the upper part of the side wall It in horizontal directions.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the side wall l6 when assembledto the base merely rests upon the base without being secured thereto.The ends and the top margin of theside wall member ii are provided withan outwardly-extending flange 25 for a purpose to be referred tohereinafter. As the construction of the side wall member I1 is similarto the construction of the side wall 16, it need not be described andportions of the side wall I] which are similar to portions of the sidewall it are indicated by like reference characters.

The centerband member ll of the casing structure is of inverted U-shapeand the top portion of the centerband includes a pair of openings 28 forthe insertion andremoval of bread from the oven l3. The centerbandmember I! is provided onboth sides thereof with inwardly-extendingflanges 21. These flanges are substantially coextensive with theoutwardly-extending flanges 25 and, in the assembled casing, the flanges21 are disposed exteriorly of the flanges 25. The lower ends of thecenterband l8 are provided with inwardly-extending feet 28 which aresecured to the base lit by means of screws 29 (see Fig. 5). As shown inFig. 3, the centerband may be provided with an elongated slot 30 throughwhich the arm 13a of the bread carriage (not shown) extends to theexterior of the casing.

In assembling the casing structure, the side wall members It and il areplaced upon the base so that the openings 2| receive the protuberances22 on the base and so that'the recesses 24 receive the respectiveprojections I15 formed on the partitions i2. The side wall members l6and i1 merely rest upon the base and. the partitions and are not securedthereto, but movement of the members it and il horizontally is preventedby the protuberances 22 and the projections IS. The centerband i8 isthen lowered to bridge the space intervening between the side walls i6and I1 and, in this position, the inwardly-extending flanges 21 aredisposed on the outside of the outwardly-extending flanges 25. Thescrews 29 are then inserted through the base and are threaded in thefeet 28 of the centerband. As the screws 29 are drawn home, thecenterband is moved downwardly firmly into engagement with the base Iiiand the upper portion of the centerband l8 draws the side wall membersI6 and i1 into engagement with the base Ill.

The assembly of the casing to the toaster structure, as described, ismore readily effected than where the casing and side walls are formed asa unit which must be lowered over the pro- Jecting parts of the toasterstructure. This is so because parts of the toaster structure are hiddenwhen the one-piece casing is assembled thereto, whereas such parts arein view at all times when the separate parts of my improved casing areattached to the toaster structure. It will be apparent that theattachment of the centerband II to the base and side walls presents nodifliculties because the only fastening devices that are employed arethe screws 29 by which the centerband is drawn downwardly upon the base.The centerband being of inverted U-shape may be readily flexed outwardlyto facilitate its assembly to the side walls if such flexing isnecessary. In this connection, the flexibility of the centerbandfacilitates its passage over the extending arm l3a of the bread carriageduring assembly of the band to the base.

The time and expense of assembly of a casing constructed in accordancewith my invention are less than in cases where a unitary casing isemployed. The usual connections between the cen-,

terband and side walls of a one-piece casing are obviated and the timerequired for effecting the connections is eliminated. Furthermore, aprefabricated casing of several parts constructed as a unit usuallyrequires expensive fixtures and jigs to insure proper assembly of theparts and requires, in addition, very careful handling of the casingparts which, as is well understood, are provided with highly polishedsurfaces. Another disadvantage to the unitary casing is that the openingin the bottom thereof must be large enough to pass the mechanism whichit encloses, and this frequently calls for a, casing larger thannecessary or for a casing whose shape may be objectionable from anappearance standpoint.

By providing various finishes or styling to the separate centerband andside wall members, various combinations may be readily effected at will.In the event of damage to the casing, only the damaged part need bereplaced whereas, in a single unit casing. it is frequently necessary'toreplace the entire casing.

While I have shown my invention in but one form, it will be obvious tothose skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptibleof various changes and modifications without departing from the spiritthereof, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall beplaced thereupon as are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a toaster, the combination of a base. spaced partitions carried bythe base and deilning a toasting oven therebetween, and a, casingstructure enclosing said oven, said casing structure including sidemembers spaced apart and resting upon the base but unsecured thereto,means associated with the base and the bottom portions of said sidemembers for preventing the unsecured side members from shiftinghorizontally relative the base, said side members being dished andhaving a flange extending outwardly from the end and top marginsthereof, a centerband of inverted U shape bridging the space between theside members and having flanges extending inwardly from the respectiveside margins thereof, said inwardly and outwardly-extending flangescooperating to position the side members, means for securing the ends ofthe U-shaped centerband ing the side members into engagement with thebase, and means associated with the side members and said partitions forpreventing horizontal movement of the upper portions of the side membersrelative the partitions independently of the centerband.

2. In a' toaster, the combination of a base having a plurality ofprotuberances extending upwardly from the base and disposed in groups onopposite sides of the base, a pair of substantially vertical partitionsfixed to the base and defining a toasting oven therebetween, each ofsaid partitions having projections formed on opposite sides thereof, anda casing structure for enclosing said oven; said casing structure havingside wall members spaced apart on opposite sides of the base, said sidewall members having respective bottom plates provided with openings forreceiving the respective -groups of protuberances on the base, said sidewall members having recesses formed in upper Portions thereof forreceiving, respectively, the projections on said partitions, theconstruction and arrangement being such that shifting of the side wallmembers relative the base is prevented, each of said side wall membershaving a flange extending outwardly from the end and top sides thereof,a. centerband of inverted u shape bridging the space between said sidewall members and having inwardly-extending flanges disposed on oppositemargins thereof, said inwardly-extending flanges engaging the side wallmembers, and means for securing the lower ends of the centerbands to thebase and for drawing both side wall members downwardly into engagementwith the base.

. JOSEPH R. HEILMAN.

to the base and for draw-

